wednesday wisdom: the olympic creed

1948 Olympic Games - London

The Olympic Creed:

"The important thing in the Olympic games is not winning but taking part.The essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well." - Baron de Coubertin

In light of the 2012 Olympic Summer games currently being held in London, I thought it fitting for this week's Wednesday Wisdom to honor this grand tradition. I did some research to find out more about how the Olympics came about and the history behind the Olympic creed.

The man to which we owe the sentiment known as The Olympic Creed was named Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin. A french educationalist and historian, he created the Olympic Creed based on the following philosophy:

 The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle, the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.

Today, Coubertin is largely considered the father of the modern Olympic Games. He began his efforts to establish an International Olympic Committee in the late 1890s. While others during and before his time had experienced some success establishing Olympic-type competitions within their own countries, Coubertin was the first to advocate international competition.

The International Olympic Committee was officially formed on June 23, 1896. Later that same year, the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece.

Click here to read more about Baron de Coubertin and the modern Olympic Games.

Click here to see more fantastic images from the 1948 Olympic Games.

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